Q&A w/ Siena PG Ronald Moore

As part of his
2010 NCAA Tournament Q&A series, Jon Teitel spoke with Ronald Moore, the #1
assist man in the country. The Siena Saints All-conference point guard talks
about past Tourney success amongst other things:JT:
Your nickname is “Rizz". How did you get the nickname, and how do you like it?

RM:
My brother gave me that nickname when I was in 4th or 5th grade: I am not
sure how he came up with it. At first it was just used by my family and
friends, but now a lot of people call me that.

JT: You weigh a little over 150 pounds: do you consider your size
to be a blessing or a curse?

RM:
It is definitely a blessing, as it allows me to be fast on the court, but I
also take pride in being strong as possible.

JT:
You are the only Siena starter not scoring 10+ PPG, but your 7.7 APG is #1 in
the nation. Is your team’s balanced scoring the key to you having so many
assists, and do you feel like you are one of the best PGs in the country?

RM:
The scoring balance allows me to have a lot of different options before I
make a pass. I am a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award (given to the top college
PG in the country), which is a great honor. Everyone has their own opinion, but
I think I do a great job running this team.

JT: Take me through the 2008 NCAA tourney, when you knocked off
#4 seed Vanderbilt: (Note: Moore had 11 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds
in the game)

RM:
It meant a lot, as beating an SEC team was a great accomplishment, and it
also helped us have confidence in 2009 when we beat OH ST. It is a lot of fun
to represent your school.

JT: In the 2nd round you had 5 assist in a loss to Villanova, who
got a big game from Scottie Reynolds. Would it be extra-special this year if you
get the chance for revenge against them in the Elite 8?

RM:
It would be nice to match up against Villanova again. They have great guard
play and are a great team that deserved their #2-seed, but we just have to take
it 1 game at a time.

JT: In the 2009 tourney, you made the game-tying 3-PT shot at
the end of the 1st OT, then made the game-winning 3-PT shot with 3.9 seconds
left in the 2ndOT to beat OHST in the 1st round: how were you able to play your
best when it mattered the most?

RM:
I want to be known as a player who rises to the occasion, which I was able
to do in that game.

JT:
What did it mean to you to do it in honor of your mom’s best friend, who had
died one week earlier from cancer?

RM:
It was an emotional moment for me because my mom’s best friend was like an
aunt and had been to a lot of my games in the past.

JT: In the 2nd round you played all 40 minutes and had 10 AST in
a 7-PT loss to #1-seed Louisville. Did your mom say anything to you after the
game?

RM:
She just told me that she was proud of me. I was used to playing a lot of
minutes all season long, so I am able to keep going strong and play with
endurance all game long.

JT: Your family has a very impressive athletic lineage, as your
cousin John Salmons plays in the NBA, your uncle Jimmy Baker played in the ABA,
and your brother Chuck currently plays basketball overseas: do you think it is a
coincidence that you have such an athletic family, or do you credit at least
some of your success to genetics?

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About Jon Teitel

ColumnistPenn/Ivy League Columnist

Contactteitel@alumni.upenn.edu

Background

Jon attended college at the University of Pennsylvania (class of 1996) and law school at the University of Arizona (class of 2001), so his 2 favorite college teams are the Quakers and the Wildcats. While at Penn, Jon was the sports director of the school TV station, where he covered their 1994 and 1995 NCAA tournament appearances. He has also worked as a production assistant for ESPN, and a broadcast assistant for CBS during 2 different NCAA tournaments. He currently works as an investigator for the federal government in Washington, DC.